I have found this theory useful as it recognises that the
learner brings capacity, that the learner constructs meaning through
experience, and that interaction plays a key part in developing ideas.

However, given that the majority of students that I teach
are generally novices to not only Social Anthropology but also to Occupational
Therapy, my application of constructivist theory also has a caveat with it in
that I have developed some set guidelines to help students work through this course.
I provide support structures in class and via Moodle to offer a framework for
their thinking as they begin to explore SA. Some of these structures are quite set and
they step students through a certain activity- with the aim of the students
participating more independently towards the end of the course.

Criticisms of a purely constructivist approach for novice
learners have claimed that teaching/learning should encourage “…cognitive activity rather than behavioural
activity, instructional guidance rather than pure discovery, and curricular
focus rather than unstructured exploration”. (Meyer, 2004 P.14). Meyer goes on to argue
that it is important to focus on theory-based research which explains how people learn (Meyer, 2004. P.18). Recently,
there has been some in-depth research looking at this theme of best evidence
(in determining positive learning outcomes for students) within a New Zealand
context in the compulsory education sector.

One particular piece of influential
research has been the ‘Best Evidence Synthesis’ by Timperley, Wilson, Barrar
and Fung (2007) and ‘Te Kotahitanga’ by
Bishop, Berryman, Cavanagh and Teddy (2009) which focuses on the educational
disparities faced by Māori. These both have had a major influence and provide the
backbone of recent education policy changes developed by the Ministry of
Education including ‘Ka Hikitia’
and also the redevelopment of the Pasifika Education Plan.

A key outcome from Bishop’s work is the focus on the
relationship between teacher and student and how this directly impacts on
learning outcomes for students. Although this research is within the compulsory
sector, the demand for quality relationships between students and
‘lectures/facilitators’ and how this determines education outcomes will also be
a challenge for the post-compulsory sector. The post-compulsory sector will
have to think of innovative ways to realise this and blended learning certainly plays
a part in addressing this, as well as understanding the learning needs of
students and facilitators in a
post-compulsory setting.

About Me

Kia ora, I've just realised I have no photos of me, so here's one with my boy last year at his Birthday.
This is my first blog and I'm not entirely comfortable with this medium...
As this whakatauki expresses,
"Kaore te kumara e whaakii ana tana reka"
"The kumara (sweet potatoe) does not say how sweet he is".
So, to share a little about 'me'- I have a dual role here at Polytech (both within operations as well as academic) and work with the Kaitohutohu Team for Professor Khyla Russell. I also have interests outside of Polytechnic and run my own company project managing various research contracts (qualitative and quantitative) and for the past two years I've been festival coordinator for Puaka - Matariki Festival (Maori New Year) here in Dunedin. I sit on too many community groups, and I'm trying to retire from being 'busy' but as my whanau keep telling me- 'whateva'... Most of the time I have a sense of humour but I must admit it fails me around 5:30am.
Looking forward to becoming more familiar with 'blogging' - and to see how this could be used as a learning tool.
Na, Gina